Part three, 5:30PM Monday
The New Hanamichi Sakuragi
Hanamichi Sakuragi sighed as the water hit her. "Damn. Who would have thought that modeling could be so tiring?" she thought.
Okina Mito, Youhei's mother, help Hanamichi get used to her new body. Hanamichi was thankful for her help but Okina Mito is very persistent person. If she says do this, Hanamichi doesn't have any choice but to follow or she'll end up with a lump in the head.
Hanamichi sighed again. Her feet hurt from walking around in heels, and her hair felt like it had enough of combing. She shuddered when she remembered yesterday's shopping spree.
Flashback
Sunday 2:00PM
"Mito-san, please try to remember that I am still Hanamichi Sakuragi," Hanamichi begged to be heard by the overzealous shopper.
"What do you mean, Hana-chan?" Okina Mito asked innocently. She spotted another shop and instantly dragged the beautiful redhead inside.
Hanamichi sighed as they entered the shop. Her feet hurt from the continuous walking around the mall and beyond. Youhei had no money so they have no choice but to ask his mother for some cash. Okina Mito refused to give any money until Youhei tell her what he'll be doing with the money, so Youhei had to tell his mother. When Okina knew what had happened, she voluntarily went to the mall with Hanamichi. Youhei was with them until the lingerie shop incident. Blood poured out of Youhei's nose like a dam that he fainted from the lost of blood. Hanamichi would have had a nosebleed herself if not for the fact that she'll be the one wearing the lingerie that Mito-san have insisted that they buy for her. The shop was celebrating for Okina buys almost anything that she thought Hanamichi would needed and if it looks good on her. They left the shop after practically spending two hours there and nearly buying all their merchandise. Hanamichi haul the unconscious Youhei out of the shop to the astonishment of the shopkeepers. Okina just smiled and shrugged at the stares. Once Youhei gained consciousness, Hanamichi suggested that he should go home and inform the guntai of what had happened to him (Hanamichi Sakuragi). Youhei agreed, saying that shopping isn't good for his health anyway. At the mercy of Okina's shopping enthusiasm, Hanamichi agreed with him whole-heartedly. They have been shopping since eight in the morning, and Okina seems to have no intention of stopping anytime soon.
"Come on, Hana-chan." Okina let go of the newly transformed girl to drool at a pair of high heel shoes that was being displayed in the store. "You've got to wear this, Hana-chan! You'll look gorgeous with this pair of shoes."
Hanamichi sighed again. Okina didn't find anything that will not look good on her, and bought anything that she finds that will look good on her. "Ano...Mito-san," Hanamichi started. "Didn't you say this morning that you're on a tight budget?"
"Nonsense," Okina said, waving her hands in a care-don't-care manner. She tour the shop and bought five pair of high heel sandals for Hanamichi, a pair of high heel shoes, a pair of high heel boots, and a pair of jogging shoes. Hanamichi almost cried with relief when Okina bought the jogging shoes for she didn't know how to walk in high heels.
"I'll teach you how," Okina said. "A beautiful girl like you should always wear heels, it'll enhance your height more. You'll be like a model." Okina sighed dreamily.
Hanamichi sweat-dropped. "Damn, I never thought Mito-san will be such an obsessive shopper," she thought.
So the whole day was spent in a very tiresome shopping spree thanks to Okina Mito. Hanamichi wished again that she never made that stupid wish.
End of flashback
Hanamichi turned off the shower. As she dried herself, she gazed into the mirror and thought of how complicated her life had been after that wish.
"And it's only been two days," Hanamichi silently wailed.
She studied her reflection carefully. In her point of view, she isn't that pretty. She looks ordinary, not the super model type that Okina had described her to be.
"I missed being a boy. I missed basketball. I missed the team. And I missed having short hair," Hanamichi pouted prettily at the mirror. She sighed again.
Shohoku high school gym, 6:00pm
The whole afternoon pass without a redhead in sight. The team practice in silence and with underlying tension. It was unnerving to practice without the annoying presence of Hanamichi Sakuragi.
"What do you think happened to Sakuragi?" Mitsui asked the manageress.
"Since he didn't come to practice yesterday, I tried to call him last night to inform him of the new practice schedule. But, strangely, no one answered the phone," Ayako explained.
"Do you think he's sick or something?" Mitsui asked, a little worried for his teammate.
"Who's sick?" Miyagi asked absent-mindedly, hearts in his eyes as he stared at Ayako.
"I'm worried about him. Hey, Haruko? Do you know what happened to Sakuragi?" Ayako inquire the younger Akagi.
"No, Ayako. I asked Mito this morning to where Sakuragi-kun was yesterday and he said that Sakuragi went shopping with Mito's mother," Haruko answered.
Upon hearing the news, a vein appeared in her eavesdropping brother's forehead. "NANI?! HE WENT SHOPPING?!" the captain roared.
Fear crawl at everyone's spine at the captain's outburst.
"That's what Mito-san said, onii-chan," Haruko explained shakily.
"That baka! I swear I'll make him sorry he missed practice to go shopping," Akagi promised to himself, knuckles cracking.
Everyone sweat dropped.
"Poor Sakuragi."
"He'll be one sorry bastard alright."
"Hummm.." Miyagi said thoughtfully. "Haruko, do you know where Sakuragi lives?" he asked.
Haruko turn away from her brother to regard the point guard a surprised look. "Iie, Miyagi. Why do you ask?"
"The team should give him a visit," Miyagi said.
"Nani?" Ayako and Haruko exclaimed simultaneously.
Mitsui smiled wickedly. "I like what you're thinking, Miyagi."
"What is he thinking, Mitsui?" Haruko asked.
"I don't think you, ladies, should come with us. It won't be pleasant," Mitsui said instead of answering.
"What do you mean?" Haruko asked, clueless.
"Okay, team, pack up. We're visiting Sakuragi and gave him some lessons about responsibilities and priorities," Akagi ordered.
"Hai!" came the simultaneous answer.
"Demo...do you know where he lived, onii-chan?" Haruko asked.
Silence.
More silence.
"I know where he lives," a monotonous voice broke the silence.
"Honto ni?" Miyagi said, raising his eyebrow.
The boy just looked disinterestedly at his sempai.
"It's settled then. Rukawa, you lead," Akagi said.
The whole team then scrambled to gather their things and left the gym.
"Mother, I don't think you should go to Hanamichi's house tonight," Youhei pleaded. "Hanamichi was already dead-tired when you let him go this afternoon. Give him some rest, mother."
"I'm just going there to see if Hana-chan is wearing those clothes I bought for her," Okina said defensively.
The mother and son are walking towards Hanamichi's house. Youhei's voice is getting hoarse from begging to his mother not to go to Hanamichi's house. But Okina is set on going and no one could stop her.
Youhei sighed in defeat for there is only one block more before they can spot Hanamichi's house. "Damn," he thought. The guntai was planning to take Hanamichi to dinner at Danny's as welcome celebration for the new Hanamichi Sakuragi. But Okina's presence will limit the guntai's actions and fun.
As they are getting nearer to their destination, the Shohoku team spotted Youhei.
"Hey, isn't that Mito?" Kogure pointed out.
"Yeah. Hey, Mito," Mitsui called out.
"Huh?" Youhei turned around. He paled when came face-to-face with the team of Shohoku.
Okina noticed the pale complexion on her son's face. "Are you alright, Youhei-kun?"
Youhei nodded doubtfully. He had been avoiding any members of the basketball team for the whole day; he had been successful until now. Hanamichi made him promise that no matter what happens, any team member should never found out about his/her dilemma.
"Umm...okaa-chan, this is the basketball team of Shohoku high. Ah...guys, my mother," youhei introduced. "So? May I know where you're all going?" Youhei asked Akagi.
"We're going to Hanamichi's house," Akagi answered. He watched Youhei carefully and noted the shorter boy's horrified expression. "We heard that Hanamichi is sick so we decided to give a him visit."
"Really? How nice of you," Okina said. "But you don't have to worry about Hana-chan, she isn't sick. We're going there too, why don't you all join us?"
"Thank you, Mito-san," Akagi bowed respectfully. He wondered silently why Mito's mother refers Sakuragi as a she.
Youhei felt like he's falling into an abyss. "Oh no! Hanamichi, leave your house now," he prayed solemnly.
"I wonder what took Youhei so long?" Sauichiro asked absent-mindedly.
"His mother has probably given him lectures about not going out on a school night," Takamiya said while masticating two bags of chips.
The three are in Hanamichi's house. They have arrived there as soon as class ended. They found out about the sex change the other day. They laughed hard and unbelievingly when Youhei told them about it. Youhei made them stay in Hanamichi's house until Hanamichi got home from shopping with Okina. Around eight that night, a red head entered the household. Ookuso, Takamiya, Sauichiro, and even Youhei drooled at the sight that beholds them. The girl was dressed in a short white blouse, a mini-skirt, and a four-inch heel sandal. The girl raises her eyebrow at the four stooges, stepped closer to them, and gave each a head-butt. Youhei introduced the new Hanamichi to the three after gaining consciousness. The three wouldn't have believe it if not for the head-butt greeting.
"I never thought Hanamichi could be a very beautiful girl," Ookuso said to no one in particular.
The other two nod their head as a sign of agreement.
While the three were busy thinking of the sudden change of their friend's features, the red head was busy with her hair.
"Damn it. Stick to your place, will ya?" Hanamichi growled at her hair.
She has been trying out the new hairstyle that the girl from the agency has taught her this morning. But unfortunately, she is just not good at hairstyling. She wanted to cut her hair but Okina screamed hysterically when Hanamichi mention it to the hairstylist. The hairstylist, fearing for her life, let go of the scissors. Okina was serious when she said that the hair will not be cut, or else, someone else's fingers will be cut off too.
Hanamichi sighed. She decided to tie little ribbons on the two sides of her hair, a little above the ears. After a few minutes, she looked at the mirror and liked what she saw. Her hair is glowing like a satin cloak around her shoulders and her hair won't cover her face now for the ribbons hold them in place.
"I look like a little usagi," Hanamichi smiled at her reflection.
Bang.
Hanamichi jumped at the sudden sound. She was so startled that she dropped her hairbrush.
"Kuso! Who could that be?" Hanamichi said angrily. She left the hairbrush where it had fallen and walked out of her room. She could hear voices downstairs. She easily recognized Youhei's and the guntai's.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Hanamichi yelled at the top of her voice.
The four boys gawked at the red head goddess. A vein pop at Hanamichi's forehead. She went down the stairs two steps at a time and gave each of the guntai a head-butt.
"Idiots!"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Hana-chan, this is Okina. I brought some of your friends here."
"Friends?" Hanamichi was surprised at the idea of Okina knowing any of her friends other than the guntai. She moved to open the door but Youhei rose up quickly from the floor and stopped her. The other three rose up as well and drool at Hanamichi.
"Don't, Hanamichi," Youhei whispered. "I think you should get out through the back door."
"Why should I?" Hanamichi asked, perplexed at Youhei's strange behavior.
"Because the friends that mother is talking about is the whole team."
Hanamichi's eyes widened. "How did they...?"
Knock. Knock.
"Hana-chan?" Okina's voice is tinge with worry.
Hanamichi panicked as the image of an angry Gori pounding the living daylights out of her form in her mind. "I gotta go, Youhei," she said. In panic, she hit the corner of a banister.
"Ouch!" she clamped her hands to her mouth.
"Go, Hanamichi. We'll explain to mother that you left home before the guntai arrived here," Youhei said while the three pushed Hanamichi through the backdoor.
"Arigato," she mouthed to her friends as the backdoor closed.
Youhei smiled at the cute way that Hanamichi express her gratitude.
"Ready, everyone?" when the three nodded uncertainly, he took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Mother, you finally arrived," Youhei said suavely. He greeted the team with a nod then turn back to his mother. "Unfortunately, Hanamichi isn't here. He already left before the three," Youhei pointed the three for-once-silent boys, "arrived here."
"Really?" through Youhei's shoulders, Okina gave the three her killer eyes.
The three literally started shaking in their shoes. They answered the question with a jerky nod.
"Then who pray tell me, made that 'ouch' sound just a while ago?" Okina said trying to enter the house but Youhei blocked the door.
"Oh that? It was Sauichiro. Right, Sauichiro?" Youhei glanced at his shoulder and gave Sauichiro a warning look.
"Oh? Hai, it was me," Sauichiro admitted. To further convinced Okina, he decided to imitate Hanamichi's voice. "Ouch. Ouch. Ouch," he said in a pathetic imitation of a female voice, he even giggled.
Everyone sweat-dropped.
"Anyway," Youhei turned back to his mother and the team. "Hanamichi isn't here. So I think you should all go back home." he smiled innocently.
Okina studied her son's expression carefully.
"Captain," Kogure said to Akagi. "I think we should all home now. Hanamichi isn't home maybe he'll be at school tomorrow." He felt a premonition of trouble coming for the team of Shohoku. 'I hope it has nothing to do with Sakuragi,' he quietly prayed.
Akagi was about to answer when Okina started questioning Youhei.
"Hana-chan was with me since this morning. She was tired. She begged to go home. And now, you're telling me that she left home?" Okina interrogated the young Mito.
Youhei felt his sweat run down his back. "Damn it, mom, not now," he thought.
"Mother, you can come in and look inside the house. But, as I said a while ago, Hanamichi isn't home," he said calmly.
"I'm waiting," Okina tapped her foot impatiently.
Youhei opened the door wider letting his mother in. the team waited patiently to be invited to come in but Youhei seems to have forgotten them. Youhei was thinking of shutting the door and not let anyone else come in when Rukawa stepped into the house right after Okina. The team followed suit.
The guntai protested at the intrusion, however Okina gave each of them a warning look.
"I'm going upstairs to check up on Hana," Okina said to Akagi. "Please make yourselves comfortable." Okina points to a colorful couch in the center of the small living room.
Akagi nod. "Arigato, Mito-san."
The team watched as Okina climbs the stairs. They were a little uncomfortable due to the small space. No one to dared speak as they waited for Okina to come back.
The guntai was more than nervous now. Okina can be very annoying and can make their life miserable if she wished to. And worst of all, she didn't know that the team is not supposed to know what happened to Hanamichi.
Meanwhile, at the back alley, Hanamichi forgot that she isn't wearing any shoes. She can't go back inside for surely the team is already inside.
"They'll recognize me easily," Hanamichi thought. "And they'll laugh at me for being stupid for making a wish to be a girl." she sighed. "Damn I'm making this a habit (the sighing). I guess I'll just hide here and wait."
The plan would have worked if not for the lustrous crowing glory she has. After a few minutes of peace, she heard a shout "Hana-chan". She looked up and saw Okina peering from the window in her room.
She panicked and decided that she better run or Okina will certainly make her walk on high heels again.
"Hana-chan," Okina shouted again to the running girl below. She runs out of Hanamichi's room, carrying a pair of sandals, and ordered Youhei to give it to Hanamichi.
The Shohoku team was startled at the sudden shouting, but was more startled when Okina told Youhei to give a pair of high-heel sandals to Hanamichi. High-heel sandals? For Hanamichi?
Youhei almost fainted in shock at his mother's orders. Mitsui and Miyagi snickered at the sight of the sandals and laughed hard at the faces of the guntai. Shock would be an understatement of the expressions of the Sakuragi guntai.
"Mom, Hanamichi doesn't wear this. He wears rubber shoes," Youhei said to his mother, emphasizing the 'he' word and trying to make her change her mind about the sandals. He had enough of Hanamichi's complains about having a cramp because of the heels.
"Whatever, Youhei. Hana-chan run out of the house bare-footed, she could hurt herself. Go and don't you come back without her," Okina gave her son a deadly look.
Youhei wasn't paying attention to the look though; he became worried when Okina mentioned the bare-footed thing. Hanamichi the boy have the toughest skin known to man, but Hanamichi the girl has the softest and most delicate skin imaginable.
"I have to go," Youhei said and lefts the house before anyone can breath a protest.
Rukawa watched the exchange between mother and son silently but with keen interest. He walked out of the door and followed the running boy. The rest of the people inside the house can only stare at the two boys.
"Ano.... captain, I think we should all go home now," Kogure said to Akagi. He silently prayed that Akagi would accept.
Akagi frowned as he stared at the disappearing duo. He hesitantly nods. He is too deep in his thought to noticed the sighed of relief from the bespectacled boy.
Okina smiled reassuringly at the Shohoku team as they bid her goodbye. "I'll tell Hana-chan that you came to visit her," she said.
The team sweat dropped at the word "her". But hold their questions for the answers can only be given by their redhead teammate.
"Hanamichi!" Youhei yelled as he ran around looking for his best friend. He is getting worried for he had been running for nearly an hour now and no redhead in sight. And worst of all, Rukawa had joined him in his search for the "do'aho".
"He is probably the reason why Hanamichi refused to come out," Youhei thought, staring at his companion.
Rukawa Kaede looked around the children's park as Youhei stopped for a moment. He didn't pay any attention to Youhei. He spotted something red at the back of the slides.
"Look, Rukawa," Youhei said. "I thi..."
Rukawa started to walk towards the red object, leaving Youhei in mid sentence. Youhei followed him and spot the red as well.
"Hanamichi!" Youhei shouted as he ran ahead of Rukawa towards the redhead. His worry quadrupled when Hanamichi didn't answer his calls. Thousands of horrifying thoughts ran across his mind nearly making him mad. "Hanamichi!" he shouted again as he came closer to his friend. He sweat dropped when he realized why Hanamichi didn't answer his calls.
"She is so beautiful," a monotonous voice said to Youhei.
Youhei nearly jumped out of his skin when Rukawa suddenly materialized beside him. "Damn, he is quiet," he thought. He didn't even hear a single footstep from the raven-haired fox. He watched the boy at the corner of his eyes and trying to decide if he should beat him up to keep him from finding out Hanamichi's secret.
"Who is she?" Rukawa asked Youhei. He is gazing at the sleeping angel in front of him. He recognized her as the girl he met earlier that day. The back of his mind is telling him that he knew her, but the logical side is rejecting the idea. If you met someone so beautiful before you ought to remember who she is, the logical side reasoned out.
Rukawa squat closer to the angel and touched the smooth cheek wonderingly.
Youhei stared with wide eyes at the caring way Rukawa is touching Hanamichi. "If Hanamchi woke up...," the thought didn't continue for the angel is stirring. Youhei stepped back for he doesn't want to be caught up with the bloodshed that was to come.
Hanamichi moaned as she moved closer to Rukawa. She was dreaming of winning the MVP award in the upcoming nationals when she felt a warm hand cupping her cold cheeks. She involuntarily moved closer to the source of warmth. She sighed contentedly when arms held her closer, given comfort and security.
Youhie's eyes widened even more to the sight that he is witnessing. Rukawa is now holding Hanamichi like a cherished lover, and Hanamichi is purring like a contented kitten. "Well, I'll be damn," he thought. He pinches himself to set his mind at rest that he isn't dreaming, that Hanamichi and Rukawa is really embracing each other.
Rukawa gazed at the angel in his arms tenderly. He noted the girl's facial feature with eyes like an eagle. Memorizing every single detail. His roaming eyes stopped at the pink lips that part as she breath. As if in a trance, he bowed his head and kissed her.
The girl responds instinctively. Rukawa, thinking it as a sign of consent, deepened the kiss.
The bystander nearly had a heart attack. "OH. MY. GOD." never in his craziest dream that he would see the two rivals kissed like Romeo and Juliet. Youhei mentally shake his head, "Rukawa probably thought of Hanamichi as another person, being a girl and all. But what about Hanamichi?" Youhei observe the two with ardent interest.
After a few minutes, Rukawa raised his head and took a very much-needed breath. He gazed at his angel with a look akin to love.
Hanamichi woke up from a wonderful dream of meadows and flowers. The brown eyes slowly opened to stare at the pair of azure eyes.
Blink. Blink.
Youhei held his breath.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" a horrified scream can be heard around the park.
Youhei sighed. "As predicted," he muttered under his breath.
Hanamichi bolted out of Rukawa's arms like she was set on fire. "YOU...! YOU...! YOU...! YOU KISSED ME!" she pointed an accusing finger at the raven-haired boy.
A big sweat dropped formed at the back of Rukawa's head as he stared at the 'angel' with puzzlement. He sighed and slowly stood up to face the enraged redhead. He watched the 'girl' carefully questioning himself why the girl seems so familiar. He stepped closer to the girl.
Hanamichi stepped back when she noticed the kitsune's peculiar behavior. Rukawa was gaining distance when Hanamichi was stopped by the slide. Hanamichi's eyes widened when Rukawa placed his hands on either side of her head. She automatically put her hands to Rukawa's chest to stop him from moving any closer. Her heart felt like it's going to burst out of her chest any moment now.
"What's your name?" Rukawa asked huskily. He shifted closer to the 'angel', bending his head as if to kiss her again.
Hanamichi's eyes widened even more as Rukawa bend his head. She parted her lips and ran her tongue around it to moistened the dry lips.
Rukawa's eyes darkened to almost black in color. He groaned as he close the distance between them.
Hanamichi was startled at the sudden kiss. She tried to push Rukawa away but the shock was too much for her to really give it an effort. She gasps as she felt a gentle nip on her lips. The assailant took that opportunity to deepened the kiss. Hanamichi find herself responding to the kiss unconsciously. She closed her eyes as Rukawa lowered his hands to her waist and hold her closer. She gingerly wrapped her arms around his neck for support, she is doubtful that she can support herself with her jelly-o knees.
"OH. MY. GOD." Youhei's eyes nearly popped out of its sockets. Blood ooze out of his nose at the scene that was being played in front of him. He was presume that once Hanamichi woke up she'll beat the living daylights out of Rukawa for stepping a foot from her, not the I'm-gonna-die-if-I-didn't-get-to-kiss-you scene that he is watching right now. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wept the blood that pour out of his nose.
"I wonder if they're still breathing?" Youhei thought after a minute of watching the love scene. He sweat dropped when instead of breaking up for a breath he heard a moan instead. Fresh blood floods his nose. "Damn. If this keeps up, I'll be fainting from the loss of blood," he muttered. He realized then that since yesterday, he had been fainting from the loss of blood. "Hana-chan is not good for my health," he sighed.
Maybe he sighed too loud, for Hanamichi's eyes pop opened and stared at Youhei. Realization dawned at her that here she is, Hanamichi Sakuragi, kissing the ice king, Rukawa Kaede. And enjoyed it too.
Rukawa was surprised when he was abruptly pushed away. He silently stared at the girl while the two of them took deep breaths. His heart beats like he had ran a mile.
Hanamichi tried to steady her heartbeat by breathing deeply. Her face is all flushed up due to embarrassment and something else that she doesn't want to name. She looked at the boy in front of her and blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. "Teme kitsune." her eyes widened as she clamped her hands to her mouth.
Rukawa stilled at the words. "Kitsune?" he said in a shocked voice. "Do'aho?" he asked in the same tune of voice.
It was the first time that Hanamichi ever heard that tune of voice from the ice king. But she didn't pay attention to it as she search her mind for something to say. Anything. "Ano... it's complicated....," she stammered.
"Do'aho?" Rukawa repeated. His eyes reflect his confusion and pain, then anger. "What the hell are you trying to pull here, do'aho? Are you that desperate to have a lover that you'll crossdress just to have one?" the voice is now emotionless and seems to be bored.
"That got to hurt," Youhei thought. He felt bad for his friend but he dare not interfere yet. The emotions between the two are too strong to tamper with tactless talks. "! Pull yourself together, Hanamichi," Youhei glared at Rukawa when Hanamichi's eyes filled up with tears.
Hanamichi blinked to stop the tears from falling. She'll die first before the kitsune see her cry. She proudly raises her chin and spoke in a surprisingly calm manner. "What do you know about having a lover, kitsune? You will never be one," she said. She gave a small smile of triumph when Rukawa looked like he had been slapped. "Sure, you're a great kisser but..." she paused as if trying to find a word to describe something. "But that won't make you a lover." she added coldly.
Rukawa Kaede never felt so angry in his life before. He honestly believed that he had found the girl of his dreams, but it turn out that the girl is a guy. Not just any guy but the do'aho, his cursed nemesis. He didn't like Hanamichi Sakuragi before but now hate would be an understatement for what he felt for the redhead. He curses himself for not listening to his inner voice that the girl is someone familiar. But who would have thought that the do'aho would be crossdressing as a girl and be effective about it?
Hanamichi felt fear creep up her spine at the angry look that Rukawa is giving her. She is still capable to fight but being a girl can put you in a disadvantage when you're fighting a mad man, right? She took a step back from the blue-eyed fox only to realize that she is already leaning on the slide. She can only close her eyes as a fist flew towards her.
BAM!
Hanamichi visibly cringe as the fist made contact. She mentally checks herself for any injuries and broken bones but she felt no pain. She cautiously opened her eyes and stare at Rukawa.
Rukawa is inclined towards her. His fist against the slide is his only support. He is breathing deeply, like he'd been playing one-on-one. The crazed look on his eyes is replace with hatred. Hanamichi shivered at the intensity of the look. Her eyes filled up with tears again. She doesn't know why she's crying. She tried to stop the tears but, as if they have a will of their own, the tears flow down her cheeks steadily.
"Gomen," Hanamichi sobbed. K'so, she didn't even know what she was sorry for but she is.
Rukawa had every intention of hitting Sakuragi but he saw the fear cloud up the beautiful brown eyes before it closed. He ended up punching the slide instead. Now, those eyes are swimming with tears and he felt like a monster.
"K'so! K'so! K'so!" he thought. His anger towards Hanamichi had turned towards himself. He vaguely heard the apology and he felt more monstrous for making the girl cry.
"I know that you're not a girl, so quit the act already," Rukawa growled at Hanamichi's ears. He hates her/him for making him feel so... different. He seeks to justify his actions by telling himself that he is talking to the do'aho and not some angel. It irritates him that it's not working. He still felt terrible.
"It's not my fault that you mistook me for someone else. So don't you yell at me, you bastard," Hanamichi shot back. She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, sniffing all the way. She wrinkled her nose afterwards.
Rukawa stared at Hanamichi carefully this time. He watched the red hair catch the fading sunlight and glow under its light. The two little white ribbons that hold the hair together made the redhead look like a cute Easter rabbit, without the eggs of course. 'Hmmn cuter than the rabbit actually,' Rukawa thought.
Since the do'aho had been crying, traces of tears mark the flawless cheeks. He frowned when he noticed that Hanamichi isn't wearing any make-up.
"How did you make yourself look so feminine?" the words came out before he can stop them.
"Huh?" came the startled response.
"Just forget it." Rukawa straightened himself and stood in front of Hanamichi.
Hanamichi stared back at Rukawa. She doesn't know what the kitsune is thinking as of that moment, and she honestly doesn't want to know either. She is beginning to feel uneasy till Rukawa shrugged his shoulders, turned around and left without another word. She sweat-dropped at the action.
She watched Rukawa walked away with a frown. "I will never understand him," she said out loud.
"Of course," a voice answered.
"Eek!" Hanamichi nearly jumped out of her skin. "Damnit, Youhei, don't startle me like that. I almost had a heart attack," she yelled at her best friend.
"Gomen," Youhei said halfheartedly. He look at his best friend with a bemuse expression.
Hanamichi knew what her friend is thinking and answered the question before it was spoken. "I don't know why I kissed him, okay? I...I just kissed him back when he kissed me." Hanamichi stared at her feet like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Ano... I left my shoes in the house. Maybe you should go back there and fetch me some shoes." she raises her head and blinked at the pair of sandals that was thrust in her face.
"This is the reason why we, Rukawa and I, tried to find you," Youhei said deadpan. He watches his best friend took the sandals and put them on. "I see you're getting used to wearing those."
The redhead nods. "Unbelievable, isn't it?" she smiled lopsidedly.
Youhei has to grin back. "Come on, let's go home."
Hanamichi silently thank Youhei for being discreet.